Here's What I've Been Reading in May...

I am a book addict. I love to read, I always have. There was a time in my life many years ago, though, that I felt guilty if I read anything but the Bible. I thought that if I had extra time, that the best way to spend it was in the scriptures, so I didn't allow myself to read anything else. While that school of thought may not be all bad, my position changed after listening to some good teaching. This particular person recommended reading GREAT BOOKS that can help you grow in your faith and theology. That was so freeing... and it makes sense! Just like I can learn from my local pastor or a solid pastor online (sermon audio is my absolute favorite resource), I can read the writings of Jonathan Edwards, John Bunyan, Spurgeon, Calvin, Augustine, etc... and learn from them too! So my book addiction began to be fed with a vengeance! Homeschooling has also opened up a plethora of great literature resources that I never would have found on my own! So I am hoping, little by little, to do a brief review of a few books a month. Some months I may have a certain theme I'm hi-lighting, other months it will just be a random mix. But I am fairly certain that you won't find any of these on the NYT best sellers list.

And as a disclaimer, I still do recommend spending the bulk of your reading time in the scriptures: the inspired, inerrant Word of God. That being said, I'm also fairly selective as to what I will read. I only have a limited time, so I want it to be time well spent. I want to renew my mind with things that are consistent with a Biblical worldview. Sooooooo, let's get started!!

  THE CROWN AND COVENANT SERIES by Douglas Bond

Duncan's War, The King's Arrow, Rebel's Keep

These books are widely available but here is the link to the set from Amazon.

 Do you want to learn more about the Scottish Covenanters of the 17^th century? (Trust me, YES you do!) The Crown and Covenant trilogy by Douglas Bond is a captivating, historically accurate account of the persecution and plight of the reformed church in Scotland between 1660-1688.

Grace withereth without adversity. The devil is but God's master-fencer, to teach us to handle our weapons. - Samuel Rutherford  The trilogy follows the M'Kethe family (fictional) as they endure the persecution under King Charles II and strive to walk according to the Word of God. These fictional characters are ingeniously woven into the lives of the true historical men and women from the killing times and the years surrounding them. Duncan's War, King's Arrow, & Rebel's Keep are a must read for junior high age to adulthood! This is a fun way to brush up on your history, and it will inspire you to emulate the firmness of faith demonstrated by our spiritual ancestors. By the way, you can't go wrong with reading anything by Douglas Bond!!! His historical fiction novels are just fantastic!

 A CHURCH IN THE HOUSE - a sermon by Matthew Henry

 Here is the Amazon link.

 

Years ago I listened to a sermon that told about a woman who upon returning home from church spent 3 hours pouring and praying over her sermon notes. This sermon by Matthew Henry is one that could be prayed and meditated over for years!

A CHURCH IN THE HOUSE – A sermon concerning Family Religion was preached on April 16, 1704. This book is a transcript of that sermon and is a must read for anyone who is passionate about restoring daily worship back to the christian household. (No, it is not advocating skipping corporate worship and doing church at home. Rather it is a call for daily family worship.)

Matthew Henry breaks the subject up into three main parts and expounds upon each providing scriptural basis and life application for the areas of DOCTRINE, WORSHIP, and DISCIPLINE. He speaks at length about incorporating the scriptures, catechizing, specific areas of family prayer, Psalm singing, and the discipline needed to implement this high privilege. Don't miss this invaluable resource which ends with MOTIVES and practical application concerning implementing daily family worship. "If you do not have a church in your house, it is feared Satan will have a seat there. If religion doesn't rule, Satan will." - Matthew Henry

A PEEP BEHIND THE SCENES - O. F. Walton

Available as a free Kindle book here, or in print here. 

 

 A Peep Behind the Scenes by O.F. Walton was published in 1877 and sold over 2 ½ million copies. In fact, it outsold The Scarlet Letter by 2 million books! 

 

Rosalie's father is the god-less, heartless owner of a traveling theater company. Her mother is an actress and Rosalie was born into this not-so-glamorous lifestyle, void of the gospel, void of hope, and void of the glitz and fame projected to the circus-attending fans. One day an old man gives Rosalie and her sickly mother a picture of a shepherd rescuing a lost sheep with a verse printed on it. This began a spiritual awakening within them both, a hunger for the word, repentance, and a strong desire to tell others about the Good Shepherd.

Don't underestimate what the Spirit is able to do with a simple tract, a picture, a book, or even a simple question from a little child in the spreading of His kingdom. This is a great read for elementary school to adulthood, or even a family read-a-loud. Has the Good Shepherd found you?

THE TURQUOISE TABLE - Kristin Schell

Here is the Amazon link. 

 

The Turquoise Table is a beautiful little book filled with do-able and practical ideas facilitating outreach and building relationships within your community. There are a myriad of helpful examples and recipes to show you how simple hospitality and reaching out to your neighbors can be. While it is not filled with scripture, it is definitely written from a Christian perspective.

How often do you invite guests over? How well do you know your neighbors? Relationship is key in discipleship, evangelism, and bearing one another's burdens. This book will inspire you to start cultivating friendships right where God has planted you. This will be especially helpful if you live in town. However, as a country gal, I'm brainstorming on how to adapt it to those who live in the middle of nowhere...

I hope you enjoy these brief book summaries! I'm looking forward to posting more next month!